Nyquist Returns to Track with Thursday Jog, Ships Sunday

BALTIMORE – Previously undefeated Kentucky Derby (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) winner Nyquist returned to the track Thursday morning for the first time since his third-place finish in the 141^st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 21.

Accompanied on the pony by California-based trainer Doug O’Neill’s assistant, Jack Sisterson, Nyquist jogged one lap around the main track at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The champion 2-year-old male of 2015 had been limited to walking the shedrow since exiting the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown with a fever and elevated white blood cell count that forced his connections to cancel plans for a rematch with Preakness winner Exaggerator in the Belmont Stakes June 11.

“He went great this morning. We just jogged him once, backtracked him around and he was full of energy, everything we wanted to see first day back after his slight issue there but he’s doing great,” Sisterson said. “We’re very happy and optimistic moving forward with Nyquist.”

Sisterson said Nyquist will train Friday morning at 8:30 and is scheduled to leave Sunday morning to rejoin O’Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam in California. No plans have been made where Nyquist may run next.

“He’s going to ship out and fly back to California around 9 or 10 Sunday morning. Doug and Paul are excited to get him back at Santa Anita,” Sisterson said. “We have four runners that are going to run on Belmont Day and we leave Sunday also. We’re excited.”

Nyquist won each of his first eight starts including five Grade 1 races on five different racetracks before his third-place finish as the favorite in the Preakness, where he ran the fastest opening quarter-mile in race history (22.38 seconds). Exaggerator won by 3 ½ lengths and Nyquist was nosed to third by late-running Cherry Wine.

Pimlico Race Course